Horace Nebbercracker
Horace Nebbercracker is a supporting character in Monster House. Personality While he seems like a grouchy, aggressive, and heartless old man at first, Horace Nebbercracker is actually good-hearted; he just pretends to dislike kids to ensure his house (under the influence of his late wife Constance's spirit) doesn't hurt or kill them, and also confiscates their possessions which end up on his lawn, storing them in his basement, as a means of ensuring they don’t come near his house again. However, two people, DJ Walters, his neighbor from across the street, and Zee's boyfriend Bones, are aware of what he is hiding, though DJ knows more, due to spying on Nebbercracker for years. History Nebbercracker, when he was younger, was a member of a demolition squad in the US Army. He then met Constance at a circus show. He immediately fell in love with her, and felt bad for her when he saw that kids were picking on her due to her obesity. He offered to take away from the circus, much to her delight. He married her shortly afterwards, and began building a house for the two of them. Unfortunately, one Halloween, Constance was again harassed by children. Nebbercracker assured her that he would protect her to the best of his ability. As the children started throwing eggs at her, Constance went berserk, despite Nebbercracker’s attempts to calm her down, and she fell into the basement, getting covered in cement as well, killing her. Following her death, Nebbercracker completed construction on the house, because he knew that's what she would've wanted. However, Constance's spirit took control of the house, causing it to come to life. Sadly, this wasn't the same Constance he previously knew; the abuse she took during her circus life, and what the kids did to her that Halloween, turned her into a ruthless, violent, bloodthirsty, and murderous monster that attacked and killed anyone and/or anything that came close. To ensure their safety, Nebbercracker put "Beware" and "Keep Away" signs on his lawn, and acted mean towards children who came near his house and confiscated their possessions so they wouldn’t dare come near the house again. Role in the film Nebbercracker is first seen yelling at a little girl who accidentally ended up on his lawn while riding her tricycle. He harshly tells her to leave unless she wants to be eaten alive. He then takes her tricycle and rips the front wheel off. As he carries the tricycle back to his house, he notices DJ spying on him from his bedroom window. When DJ attempts to retrieve his best friend Chowder's basketball from his lawn, he is caught by Nebbercracker, and after accidentally damaging his lawn, Nebbercracker furiously grabs DJ, and lifts him off the ground and yells at him. DJ's weight causes Nebbercracker's bones to crack, and at the same time, he suffers a heart attack, causing him to faint on top of DJ. Shortly afterwards, an ambulance arrives to take Nebbercracker to the hospital as DJ and Chowder look on in dismay. To make matters worse, Nebbercracker's departure causes Constance's spirit within the house to awaken, and with Nebbercracker gone, there is no one to keep her calm. Later on, while recovering at the hospital, Nebbercracker realizes he left Constance, and, fearing that she may have already started her killing spree, borrows an ambulance to get back to his house and stop her, even though he is too late, as Constance already devoured Zee's boyfriend Bones, a dog, and two policemen. He almost crashes into DJ upon arrival. Observing a group of children in Halloween costumes nearby, he realizes he doesn't have much time, and approaches his house. DJ tells Nebbercracker that he knows about Constance; Nebbercracker is initially angry about DJ, Chowder, and Jenny being in his house, but calms down and retells the story of how he met Constance and how her spirit took over the house after her death, and for all that time, he pretended to hate kids to protect them. DJ urges Nebbercracker to let Constance go on to the afterlife for the better. Nebbercracker is uneasy about this, stating that he’ll have no one if he lets her go, but DJ convinces him otherwise. Unfortunately, Constance's anger shoots through the roof upon overhearing their conversation; she turns two of the trees around her into hands and legs, uproots the house, and chases the four of them. Nebbercracker is eventually forced to stop and rest. While Constance continues to go after DJ, Chowder, and Jenny, Nebbercracker stands up to her and attempts to reason with her, explaining that he has always done what was best for her, making Constance feel remorse for the carnage she has recently caused, and states that the best thing he can do for her now is to help her move on to the afterlife and put her misery and suffering to an end. He attempts to blow up his house with a dynamite, but Constance, having lost all reason and succumbing to her urge to kill, grabs Nebbercracker. Fortunately, DJ, Chowder, and Jenny save him by attacking the house with an excavator. In desperation, Nebbercracker asks DJ for his assistance in destroying the house. After DJ, Chowder, and Jenny manage to defeat and destroy the house, Nebbercracker is seen dancing with Constance's ghost before she goes on to the afterlife. Saddened by Constance's departure, Nebbercracker mourns for her and his house while clutching the only remnant of his house, the doorknob. DJ apologizes to Nebbercracker for his losses; Nebbercracker acknowledges that he and Constance have been trapped for 45 years, and thanks DJ, Chowder, and Jenny for freeing them from their misery. At the site of his house, Nebbercracker, with the help of DJ, Jenny, and Chowder, returns all the items he confiscated back to their owners. As Jenny goes home with her mom, Nebbercracker bids farewell to DJ and Chowder while giving Chowder his basketball back and jokingly tells them to stay off his lawn. As the boys leave, Chowder states that Nebbercracker will find a way to get his life back on track. Relationships Constance Nebbercracker Nebbercracker fell in love with Constance when he first met her at the circus. Thus, he is the only person she truly cares for. After her death and her spirit takes control of the house he built for her, he pretends to have her attitude towards kids just so they won't harass her, leading to her attacking and/or killing them. Despite her death, he still cares for her, and is heartbroken when she goes on to the afterlife in the end. Trivia *Steve Buscemi, the actor who voices Nebbercracker, is also known for voicing Wayne in Transylvania''. Quotes *"Stay away from my house!" *"YOU!" *"What have you done?" *"You are DEAD!" *"You think you can terrorize my lawn?!" *"You wanna be a dead person?!" *"The place is not a playground for children!" *"This is my house! Why can't you respect that?! Why can't you just stay away from—?!" *"I love her so much." *"You stay away from those children, Constance!" *"Hey. Stay off my lawn. (laughs) I'm just kidding." Category:Characters Category:Males Category:Adults